Delta Goodrem's chances of winning Strictly Come Dancing could be at risk despite her impressive return to the dance floor, according to a former professional on the show. The Australian singer was back in action last weekend after a rib injury forced her to miss performing in Icons' Week.
Making a strong comeback, the 41-year-old and her professional partner, Kai Widdrington, scored 34 out of 40 for their Rumba, placing them second on the leaderboard. Having consistently been placed among the top three couples since the competition began, Delta has quickly established herself as one of the favourites to lift the Glitterball Trophy.
Former Pro Warns of Early Success
However, former Strictly professional Vincent Simone believes her early success could ultimately work against her as the competition progresses. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk on behalf of Paddy Power Games, he said: "I love what Delta Goodrem does, but I think she's just been too good too soon."
"I like to see people grow more into the competition. What she did was brilliant. In the rumba, there was lots of basic. Technically, she was really good, and you can tell they worked hard," he added. "But because she's been so good, you just want to see her excel every week."
Previous Contestant Comparison
Delta's fans will be hoping she avoids a similar fate to that of Lewis Cope, who experienced a shock exit during last year's series. The Emmerdale actor was one of the standout contestants of the 2025 competition, partnered with professional dancer Katya Jones, who won the show in 2017.
Despite impressing throughout the series, Lewis found himself in the bottom two ahead of the final, facing Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin in the dance-off before subsequently losing his place. With both couples bringing previous West End experience to the competition, Vincent previously suggested that their professional backgrounds could have counted against them when it came to winning over the public.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with bringing amazingly talented people into the show," he said at the time. "People sometimes find it unfair, but those types rarely win," he added. "The public tends to go for underdogs."
"The entertainment they bring is unbelievable. And, from a professional dancer's point of view, I love watching super-talented people," he continued. "It makes the show special and gets people talking. People vote for their favourites, of course. But what Lewis brought to the show was unbelievable."
Upcoming Halloween Special
Meanwhile, the remaining 11 couples will return to the ballroom this week for a spooktacular Halloween special. Delta and Kai are set to perform a Viennese Waltz to Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers as they look to maintain their position among the competition's frontrunners.
Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 6.30pm on BBC One.
